TOPIC

Neurological research

Everything we have read on neurological. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

2,792 PAPERS · PAGE 45 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSurvey2025Motivation Matters: Elucidating Factors Driving Exercise in People With Parkinson Disease.Physical therapyMost people with Parkinson disease who exercise are motivated by wanting to stay independent and seeing physical benefits, not by external rewards. Fatigue is the top barrier. Prior exercise habits and self-compassion predict current motivation more strongly than disease severity or age.
• PTOTNarrative Review2025Exploring the Landscape of Biomarkers in Spinal Cord Injury.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitationSpinal cord injury lacks FDA-approved biomarkers for predicting recovery, so clinicians must still rely on the ISNCSCI exam despite its variability. This review maps emerging candidates like serum proteins and MRI tissue bridges, but none are ready for routine clinical use yet.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Examining and comparing the clinical characteristics of adults with persisting post-concussion symptoms presenting for outpatient rehabilitation following a mild traumatic brain injury or a minimal head injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients referred to rehab with persisting symptoms after a mild head injury report similar high symptom burdens and disability whether their injury met criteria for mild TBI or was even milder. Nearly half had no loss of consciousness or amnesia. Treat symptoms and function, not just injury severity.
• PTOTOther2025Exploratory development of human-machine interaction strategies for post-stroke upper-limb rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new upper-limb exoskeleton accurately recognized subtle movement intentions in healthy volunteers (99.7% accuracy) and stopped safely when excessive force was applied in a single post-stroke patient. Clinical trials are needed to confirm rehabilitation effectiveness.
• PTOTOther2025Neuroimaging and biological markers of different paretic hand outcomes after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA brain scan metric called ALFF accurately distinguished stroke patients with partial hand weakness from those with complete paralysis. It also predicted hand function scores. This suggests a potential tool for assessing recovery, but clinical use requires further validation.
• PTOTPilot2025Wristful thinking: exploring the effects of robotic rehabilitation and cross-education for persons with multiple sclerosis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn people with MS, robot-guided wrist training of a single arm increased wrist strength and tracking accuracy in both arms, but daily hand function scores did not change.
• PTOTRCT2025Effectiveness of a rehabilitation program involving functional proprioceptive stimulation for postural control and motor recovery among stroke patients: a double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWith physiotherapy, standing practice and daily-activity training in both groups, adding real focal vibration improved balance more than sham vibration in stroke patients.
• OTPilot2025Real-time cortical activity during virtual reality practice in people with multiple sclerosis: a pilot fNIRS study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAverage brain blood-oxygen signal during virtual-reality dishwashing and real dishwashing did not differ in 14 people with MS. Healthy controls showed task-related signal changes, but people with MS did not.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Exploring Rehabilitation Patients' Perspectives on What Matters for the Adoption of Home-Based Rehabilitation Technology: Q-Methodology Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPatients with brain injury hold three distinct views on home rehab tech. Some want fast recovery and simple setup. Others demand total independence and privacy. A third group relies heavily on therapist guidance and peer validation. One-size-fits-all designs fail.
• OTOther2024Validity and reliability of the functional test for hemiplegic upper Extremity-Thai version.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTThe Thai version of the Functional Test for Hemiplegic Upper Extremity matches the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and gives consistent scores over two weeks. It is a reliable option for screening arm and hand function in stroke survivors in Thailand.
• PTOTCohort2025Multicenter study on predictors of rehabilitation outcome and home discharge in people with non-traumatic spinal cord injuries.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineFunctional scores at discharge predicted going home better than scores at admission in people with non-traumatic spinal cord injury. Longer stay, higher admission score, younger age, being married, and no central venous catheter were linked to home discharge.
• PTOTRCT2025Different light color temperatures in the morning on the effectiveness of rehabilitation training in patients with ischemic stroke: a prospective, single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMorning exposure to cold light (6500 K) during rehabilitation improved neurological function, sleep quality, and physical health scores in stroke patients compared to warm or standard light. Warm light showed no benefit over standard conditions. The effect was seen after four weeks of morning sessions.
• PTOTOther2025Psychometric validation of comprehensive coordination scale to assess the advanced coordination ability in people with stroke.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineThe Comprehensive Coordination Scale reliably measures motor coordination in chronic stroke survivors. A total score below 62.5 effectively distinguishes those with stroke from healthy older adults. However, the scale's bilateral and unaffected-side subscores showed poor reliability or diagnostic power.
• PTOTCase Report2025Effects of body weight-supported overground training on gait recovery in severe stroke-induced hemiplegia: a single-case ABAB design.Journal of physical therapy scienceA woman with severe stroke-related paralysis walked faster and took fewer steps when body weight-supported overground training was added to standard therapy. Her walking speed rose to 0.58 m/s during the training phase, dropping when it stopped and rising again when it resumed.
• PTOTCohort2025The Longitudinal Course of Physical Activity Behavior Poststroke and Its Variation Across Subgroups: The Norwegian Cognitive Impairment After Stroke Study.Physical therapyStroke survivors' physical activity declined steadily over three years. A quarter of participants remained in the least active group, with only the most active group meeting step recommendations. No subgroup increased activity over time, suggesting early intervention is critical to prevent long-term decline.
• OTSurvey2025Content validity of the Handwriting Assessment Battery (HAB-v6) for use with adults with acquired brain injury (ABI): An international Delphi study.Australian occupational therapy journalExperts judged the HAB-v6 relevant for assessing adult handwriting after ABI, but did not agree on the dots drawing subtest. They recommended adding vertical lines and number copying, and revising sentence copying.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Upper limb robotic rehabilitation following stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating efficacy and the influence of device features and program parameters.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDose-matched robotic therapy gave a tiny, short-lived boost to arm capacity that patients did not feel in daily life. It did not beat conventional therapy for activities. Games and feedback added nothing when a therapist supervised the session.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Item-Level Psychometrics for the Functional Gait Assessment in Persons With Stroke.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationThe Functional Gait Assessment measures one thing in chronic stroke: walking balance. A new scoring sheet lets therapists see exactly which tasks a patient can handle and which are just out of reach, guiding treatment targets without needing to calculate complex statistics.
• PTOTSLPCase Series2025Effect of Dual-Task Training on the Number of EEG Bands in Stroke Patients.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyFive women with stroke showed reduced brain wave activity in all four EEG bands after 12 sessions of dual-task training. All improved on manual dexterity tests, but the authors state these clinical changes cannot yet be considered relevant or proven effective.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Clinical relevance of the effects of robotic rehabilitation for upper limb recovery after stroke in randomized studies: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Archives of physiotherapyRobot-assisted upper limb training after stroke did not produce benefits large enough for patients to consider clinically important, despite gains in daily activities, dexterity, arm function, and strength over control therapy.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Amantadine Continuation After Hospital Discharge for Acute Stroke Requiring Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Long-term Follow-up Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn 28 stroke patients continuing amantadine into rehab, dosing varied widely but appeared safe. Most patients improved in mobility and speech, yet confusion and agitation often emerged when doses were reduced, not increased. This offers no guidance on optimal dosing or timing.
• PTOTCohort2025Investigating Balance Perception and Balance Performance in Neurological Disorders for Targeted Rehabilitation Strategies.Physical therapyFor people with Parkinson disease and stroke, confidence in daily activities linked strongly to dynamic balance tasks like stairs and turning. For multiple sclerosis, links were weak. Prioritize dynamic gait and sensory challenges for PD and stroke; results for MS are less clear.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025A Systematic Scoping Review of Poststroke Engagement in Physical Activity.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationCommunity-dwelling stroke survivors typically walk about 4000 steps a day, falling short of guidelines. Objective measures show lower activity than self-reports. Interventions with coaching or education increased activity in the short term, but long-term adherence and support quality remain unclear.
• PTOTCohort2025Safety and Effectiveness of Early Rehabilitation in Patients With Stroke and Concomitant Kidney Disease: A Cohort Study With Claims Data.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationStarting rehabilitation 24 to 48 hours after admission did not increase death rates or shorten hospital stays compared to starting later. The primary outcome was null for both chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease groups.
• OTOther2025Upper limb training for young children with unilateral cerebral palsy using video coaching: An explorative retrospective clinical study.Australian occupational therapy journalIn 81 young children with unilateral cerebral palsy, an 8-week home upper limb training block with video coaching was followed by higher affected hand use scores during bimanual tasks. Scores stayed about the same after an 8-week break. Individual response varied widely.
• PTOTRCT2025Variants of active assist robotic therapy: feasibility of virtual assistance and proprioceptive training as gauged by their effects on success and motivation during finger movement training after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTwo new robotic hand-training modes kept stroke survivors engaged and successful. Virtual assistance worked without physical support, but users felt less competent than those with physical help. Proprioceptive games were harder and less enjoyable, though still feasible with high assistance.
• OTSLPOther2025Underrepresentation of Participants From Marginalized Racial and Ethnic Groups: A Secondary Analysis of the Cognitive Rehabilitation Literature.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost influential brain injury rehabilitation studies either did not report participant race or showed White non-Hispanic patients were severely overrepresented. Eligibility rules like English fluency and high literacy likely excluded marginalized groups, meaning current practice standards may not apply equally to all patients.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Mapping of ultrasonography methods and shoulder soft-tissue injury locations in patients with stroke: a scoping review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineUltrasonography is rarely used to map shoulder soft-tissue injuries after stroke. When it is, clinicians consistently use a linear probe at 5–7 MHz with the patient sitting. The most common findings are biceps tendon effusion and supraspinatus tears.
• PTOTCase Report2025Case Report: Rehabilitation assessment and exercise using cardiopulmonary exercise test after coronavirus-disease pneumonia.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTwo men with persistent respiratory distress after severe COVID-19 improved their exercise tolerance and oxygen needs after rehabilitation guided by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. They completed a multi-component programme including respiratory training and prone positioning, so the specific contribution of the testing protocol cannot be isolated.
• OTPilot2025Application and adaptation of the Virtual Eggs Test for assessing hand dexterity in subjects with stroke: a pilot study.Archives of physiotherapyNine stroke survivors completed the hand dexterity test with their affected arm. It was feasible and mostly comfortable, but timing was unreliable and the most fragile test objects were hard to detect as broken.
• PTOTQualitative2025The use of robotic upper limb therapy in routine clinical practice for stroke survivors: Insights from Australian therapists.Australian occupational therapy journalNine therapists accepted robot arm therapy as extra practice for stroke survivors with dense arm weakness, but occupational therapists used it less because the device sat in the physiotherapy gym.
• PTOTCohort2025Prediction of independent ambulation in subacute stroke patients: a retrospective observational study using lower limb motor and balance assessments.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdmission scores on the Berg Balance Scale and Fugl-Meyer lower limb test predicted independent walking at discharge in subacute stroke patients. A Berg score of 38.5 or higher on admission best identified those likely to walk independently.
• PTOTRCT2025Effects and neural mechanisms of a brain-computer interface-controlled soft robotic glove on upper limb function in patients with subacute stroke: a randomized controlled fNIRS study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding brain-computer interface control to a soft robotic glove improved arm movement scores more than the glove alone in subacute stroke patients. However, this did not translate to better independence in daily activities, and the study was small and short-term.
• PTOTPilot2025Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Japanese translation of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper and lower extremity sensorimotor function after stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe Japanese Fugl-Meyer Assessment was translated and tested in 10 patients with chronic stroke. Raters agreed on most items, with agreement above 90% for the majority. Only two sensation items showed scoring inconsistencies, which were corrected in the final version.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025The proportion and clinical characteristics of patients with stroke who returned to work six months after discharge from a convalescent rehabilitation ward: a descriptive study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTwo-thirds of working-age stroke patients returned to work six months after discharge. Those who did not return had higher rates of aphasia and lower cognitive scores, even when motor function and daily living skills were similar to those who returned.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Delayed inpatient rehabilitation and functional outcomes for acute stroke: a retrospective cohort study in an Australian regional hospital.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke patients waiting more than 24 hours for a rehab bed after being medically ready gained less function relative to their potential and recovered more slowly. These delays, mostly caused by bed shortages, also led to longer hospital stays. Timely admission matters for functional recovery.
• OTOther2025Changes in lifespace and participation in community-based occupations of people with acquired brain injury: A mixed methods exploration 6 months following occupational therapy driving assessment.Australian occupational therapy journalAfter the driving assessment for acquired brain injury, people who returned to driving travelled farther and joined more community occupations. Those who did not return to driving left home less, mainly for errands and health care, and felt stuck.
• PTOTPilot2025Acute effects of 10-minute robotic leg movements on a dynamic tilt table in patients with chronic stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceA single 10-minute session on a dynamic tilt table with robotic leg movements significantly improved walking speed and cadence in ten patients with chronic stroke, but did not change quadriceps muscle tone. This suggests immediate gait benefits from the movement itself, without electrical stimulation.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025The influence of HIV on return to work in stroke survivors amongst a population of the eThekwini district, Kwazulu Natal: A qualitative study.Work (Reading, Mass.)Stroke survivors living with HIV described fear of workplace discrimination and job loss as major barriers to returning to work. They emphasized that employer accommodation for medication appointments and a collaborative return-to-work process were essential for maintaining employment and health.
• PTOTCohort2025Social factors related to participation among people with Parkinson's disease.Disability and rehabilitationFor people with Parkinson's, support from family and friends predicted higher participation in demanding leisure activities like sports. Neighborhood and community support predicted better social and overall participation. These links held even after accounting for motor, cognitive, and mood impairments.
• PTOTCohort2025Correlation between respiratory muscle strength and arm muscle strength of the unaffected side in patients with sub-acute stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn stroke patients who could not walk alone, respiratory strength and arm strength on the unaffected side were both far below healthy levels. Over two months of standard rehab, these improved but did not reach normal. The two strengths tracked together closely.
• PTOTCase Report2025Effect of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation for patients with chronic stroke: a case report using an AB design.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn one man with chronic stroke, repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation applied to forearm extensors improved wrist spasticity, motor scores, and self-reported daily task confidence. Because he also received routine therapy, it is unclear whether the stimulation itself caused the gains.
• PTOTQualitative2024Implementing constraint-induced movement therapy into practice in sub-acute stroke: Experiences and perceptions of stroke survivors and therapists.The British journal of occupational therapyTherapists feared stroke survivors could not tolerate intensive CIMT, but survivors chose and completed a short protocol and would repeat it. Their accounts did not match therapist expectations.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Motor and cognitive changes across 2 years: a longitudinal study in early Multiple Sclerosis.Archives of physiotherapyEarly MS patients stayed functionally stable over two years. Cognition and fatigue did not worsen, and some walking measures even improved. Wearable sensors gave conflicting results. This suggests two years is too short to see decline, so do not assume rapid deterioration in stable patients.
• OTQualitative2024Acceptability and usability of assistive equipment and technology by individuals with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative study with occupational therapists.The British journal of occupational therapyOccupational therapists working with MS linked acceptance of assistive equipment to cognition, emotional meaning and trying equipment in valued tasks. They said acceptance could depend on the equipment helping a valued activity, graded trials and listening.
• PTOTSurvey2025Health systems and quality of life: The situation of South Africans with spinal cord injury.The South African journal of physiotherapySouth Africans with spinal cord injury using private healthcare reported higher overall quality of life than public users, and private users faced fewer problems with transport, medications, devices and nursing care.
• PTOTRCT2025Individual and combined applied robotic hand rehabilitation and conventional rehabilitation for post-stroke hemiplegia: a prospective three-arm randomized study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineConventional occupational therapy improved upper limb function after stroke. Adding robotic hand therapy did not significantly beat conventional alone. Robotic hand therapy plus home-based Bobath exercises did not improve upper limb function.
• OTRCT2025Feasibility of post-stroke hand rehabilitation supported by a soft robotic hand orthosis in-clinic and at-home.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEight people with chronic stroke used a soft robotic hand orthosis for five weeks of occupational therapy, first in clinic then at home. They achieved high training doses independently at home, and most showed clinically meaningful improvements in hand function that were maintained at one month.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Effects of lower limb botulinum toxin injections on gait functional outcomes in stroke survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineLower limb botulinum toxin injections do not improve walking speed in chronic stroke survivors. While the treatment effectively reduces muscle spasticity, this tone reduction does not translate into better gait function. Clinicians should not expect functional walking improvements from these injections alone.
• OTQualitative2024Exploring the usefulness of real-time digitally supported fatigue monitoring in fatigue management: Perspectives from occupational therapists and brain injury survivors.The British journal of occupational therapyTen brain injury survivors and five occupational therapists found real-time digital fatigue monitoring raised awareness but was hard to interpret. Survivors struggled with data accuracy, while therapists faced time and skill barriers to using these summaries in clinical practice.